NHS sperm bank idea ‘simply crackers’, says Sheffield expert

A proposal to freeze the sperm of all 18-year-old men because of the risks of having children in later life has been branded ‘simply crackers’ by a Sheffield expert.

The idea of state-funded sperm backing has been put forward by Kevin Smith, from Abertay University in Dundee, due to genetic disorder risks increasing with age.

But Allan Pacey, a professor of andrology at the University of Sheffield, said: “This is one of the most ridiculous suggestions I have heard in a long time. The idea that mass sperm banking for 18-year-olds should be funded by the NHS is simply crackers, in my opinion. Men who froze their sperm at 18, and returned to use it later in life, would essentially be asking their wives to undergo one or more IVF procedures in order to start a family.”